Continental Airlines has reportedly paid a record $209m for four pairs of slots at London Heathrow Airports.
The US carrier bought two of the pairs from GB Airways which was acquired last year by UK low cost carrier easyJet, the London Financial Times said.
The other two pairs were bought, one each from Air France and Alitalia, both members of the same SkyTeam alliance as Continental.
The FT also reported that another US carrier, American Airlines had bougth a Heathrow slot from Iberia, the Spanish national carrier. Again both carriers are members of the same alliance, oneworld.
There has been a scramble for slots at Heathrow since the signing last year of an Open Skies agreement between the EU and the US.
The agreement effectively opened Heathrwo to any European or US carrier which wanted to fly transatlantic servc ies form the airport.
Previously only four carriers, BA, American Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines had beenallowed to flöy such servcies from Heathrow.
The price of slots at Heathrow has risen as the end of March date for the Open Skies deal to come into force has got nearer.
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